Interview: Stan Douglas

An uncanny apparition - romantic notions of untouched northern landscapes merge with a dark chapter of colonial history. Stan Douglas' captivating video installation "Nu.tka." is a highlight of the show "True North" at the Deutsche Guggenheim. In an in-depth interview with Frank Wagner, the Canadian artist talks about his complex and aesthetic work.

Select Eclecticism: Karen Kilimnik

Sanctuaries of longing: The work of Karen Kilimnik conjures up a nostalgic cosmos brimming with beauty and decadence. Yet the sword she is playing with is double-edged: behind her elegant surfaces lies an investigation of cliché representations of femininity and iconic images from art history as well as popular culture. Tim Ackermann on the American artist.

Elegiac Landscapes: Elger Esser

Drawing nearer to past times: Elger Esser enlarges old picture postcards to create panoramas that tell of a lost oneness with nature. His elegiac panoramas mirror the sublimity of romantic painting. One of the lage-sized landscapes by the German art photographer can be seen in "True North " at the Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin. An essay by Alexander Pühringer

Drowning in Décor: Adriana Czernin

Elegant female figures seem engaged in a futile struggle against the power of the decorative ornament. Despite her obvious preference for the opulent aesthetic of the fin de siècle, Adriana Czernin is not a follower of painters like Gustav Klimt or Egon Schiele - on the contrary. Kito Nedo met with the young Bulgarian artist - in Vienna, of course.

Other Voices, Other Rooms

Our image of the North is still influenced by romantic paintings and by pristine snowy landscapes far from any human civilization. "True North," the current show at the Deutsche Guggenheim, calls this stereotypical view into question. In contrast to their predecessors, the works of Stan Douglas, Olafur Eliasson, Elger Esser, Thomas Flechtner, Roni Horn, Armin Linke, and Orit Raff take a critical stance to history, the environment, and politics. The current investigation into art historical traditions is also a focus of the new edition of db artmag +++ Stan Douglas' remarkably beautiful video installation "Nu.tka." explores a dark chapter of colonial history. In an interview, the Canadian artist explains his aesthetic and complex work +++ Elger Esser's elegiac landscape images speak of the longing for a lost oneness with nature. An essay by Alexander Pühringer on the German photographer +++ A nostalgic cosmos full of beauty and decadence – Karen Kilimnik creates ideal images of past times and then destroys them again just as quickly. Tim Ackermann introduces the American artist +++ Figures of women in danger of drowning in decorative patterns: Adriana Czernin's elegant drawings seem to transport the aesthetic of the fin de siècle into the present. Kito Nedo visited the artist in Vienna.